Muslims are safer, more prosperous in NaMo’s Gujarat

The loudest and the most oft-chanted pseudo-secular hymn in India is that Narendra Modi is communal and anti-Muslim. Even those with no basic depth in politics or current affairs just go around repeating this as it has been made famous via Goebbels principle. It essentially involves repeating a lie again and again so often that people tend to believe it as the truth. Congress and many other parties have invested so much into this hymn that it is almost impossible for the victims of that mindless Goebbels attack to believe that Modi is actually a truly secular leader. Yes, I used the word secular here meaning a true panth-nirapeksh person, not quote unquote ‘secular’ meaning ‘deseperate-for-minority-votebank and anti-Hindu’ politician.

So how exactly is Narendra Modi NOT anti-Muslim, as you were made to believe for a decade by the Goebbels practitioners in India?

To start with, the votes

In 2012 election, 31 per cent of the Muslims in Gujarat voted for Narendra Modi. By the 2013 by-election, Modi had done a clean sweep of 6 out of 6 seats that were held by Congress. Could he have done it without the local Muslims’ support? Similarly, Gujarat has 8 Muslim-majority MLA seats. Six of them were won by the BJP. Can anyone think that was possible without active Muslim electoral support for Modi’s team?

The fact is that during the past six decades of well-documented history of independent India, the ONLY communal riot-free 10-year-period in Gujarat was under Narendra Modi’s rule! No self-professed secular will ever highlight that incredibly important point on social and communal harmony.

Circling back to the six major communal riots that Gujarat has seen since independence, Congress was directly or via allies in power during 1969, 1987, 1989, 1990 (except for a few months) and 1992 riots. Crores of rupees worth of property of Muslims were looted. Thousands of Muslims were killed in those riots. Forget charge sheets, even no FIRs exist on records today. But for 2002 riots under BJP Government, more than 200 Hindus were arrested and 150 are serving life sentences. See the difference? Do you still think Modi’s Government is anti-Muslim while the previous ones were pro-Muslim?

And for those who parade the 2002 riots as ‘anti-Muslim’ BJP state policy, did you ever question the 1964 Bihar, 1969 Gujarat (Ahmedabad), 1980 UP (Moradabad), 1983 Assam (Nellie), 1989 Bihar (Bhagalpur) or 1993 Maharashtra (Mumbai) riots? All these unfortunately had more Muslim deaths than the 2002 Gujarat riot. All these happened under Congress Governments! Still BJP is ‘anti-Muslim’?

Who can forget the dastardly 1984 Sikh slaughter in Delhi? The then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi brushed off the huge death toll around his home in the Capital, with the infamous ‘big tree falls’ shameful speech. Why did no Human Rights Group ever speak against that Congress leader?

Modi defines secularism as ‘India First’

Popular minority names speak out

Actor Salman Khan’s father Salim Khan once asked: “Mumbai 1993 was no less violent than Gujarat 2002. Can you tell which party’s Chief Minister was ruling Maharashtra then?”

Gujarat’s Maulana Vastanvi observed: “The community that benefited most from Modi’s inclusive development, is that of Gujarati Muslims.”

Maulana Mahmood Madani of Jamiat Ulema e Hind: “Compared to the other States, Muslims in Gujarat are much happier.”

Maharashtra’s ex IGP SM Mushrif told to Milli Gazette paper: “Today the most safe place for Muslims is Gujarat.”

Kerala’s VV Augustine, member of National Minority Commission: “I have travelled across States. In Gujarat, there are rich Muslims and poor Muslims. The economic status of poor Muslims in Gujarat has improved the most (during BJP rule). How can I deny that?”

During the Sabarmati Riverfront Project, 13,000 families got displaced. 68 per cent of them were actually Muslim. But every one of them was provided with an apartment as promised. Modi did not discriminate based on religion when rehabilitating the citizens.

Gujarat’s Haj quota is 3500. But by now, 41,000 applications are already in place. Traditionally, people go to Haj only when they can afford it themselves (not via loans). This shows how Gujarati Muslims have become financially well off.

Muslims form less than 10 per cent of Gujarat’s population. But 18 per cent of the RTO registration of new two wheelers are by Muslims. Their four-wheeler registration also is higher than their proportion in the overall population. 12 per cent of the police in Gujarat are Muslims. 10 per cent of the Government jobs held by Muslims. If Muslims were discriminated against during the 11 years of BJP rule, would all these have been possible?

In summary, Gujarati Muslims are more well off financially and much safer in 2013, than they have ever been in their history since 1947. It is futile to keep falling victim to ‘secular’ Goebbels propaganda that Narendra Modi is anti-Muslim.

Reference: The above points and numbers are translated excerpts from an outstanding article by DG Lakshman that appeared in the Hosa Digantha Kannada newspaper on Monday. All the facts and figures are taken exactly as is, except one small change of using 1989 for Bihar instead of 1980. All credits to the original research and publishing by DG Lakshman. You can find the full article and author’s contact information here: hosadigantha